Top Ten Films of...

[TopBilled]

I only listed eight for 1943. There are many others that I liked, but I only wanted to list ones that I felt were really special to me. Maybe the war had something to do with the output in the mid-1940s. On the other hand, the war sort of made possible films starring older actors, like the Lorre/Greenstreet films.

And Charles Coburn, who was getting leads in comedies like MY KINGDOM FOR A COOK and COLONEL EFFINGHAM'S RAID. But I think film history is better because of it. Coburn was a fabulous talent, and so were Lorre and Greenstreet (and guys like Boris Karloff, Vincent Price and George Sanders) who deserved to be front and center just as much as Gable, Flynn and Power.

[Bogie56]

 

1943 Favorites

 

Ossessione

The first time the postman rang.

 

 

 

Ossessione was #9 in my top ten, Swithin.  Yes, quite right it was based on Cain's The Postman Always Rings Twice but just like the Italians not to worry about a little thing like copyright, they just ripped it off!

[SansFin]

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

Cabin In The Sky

Heaven Can Wait

The Heavenly Body

The Leopard Man

The Mysterious Doctor

Princess O'Rourke

Sahara

Shadow of a Doubt

The Sky's The Limit

[LawrenceA]

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

Cabin In The Sky

Heaven Can Wait

The Heavenly Body

The Leopard Man

The Mysterious Doctor

Princess O'Rourke

Sahara

Shadow of a Doubt

The Sky's The Limit

Quite a few here I haven't seen. I've always wanted to see this version of Munchausen. CABIN IN THE SKY, THE HEAVENLY BODY, THE MYSTERIOUS DOCTOR, PRINCESS O'ROURKE, and THE SKY'S THE LIMIT are all titles I have yet to see.

[speedracer5]

Quite a few here I haven't seen. I've always wanted to see this version of Munchausen. CABIN IN THE SKY, THE HEAVENLY BODY, THE MYSTERIOUS DOCTOR, PRINCESS O'ROURKE, and THE SKY'S THE LIMIT are all titles I have yet to see.

Princess O'Rourke is a fun movie.  It stars Olivia de Havilland, Robert Cummings and Charles Coburn.  The plot is similar to Roman Holiday, except that in Roman Holiday, Gregory Peck is aware of Audrey Hepburn's identity from the get-go.  In Princess O'Rourke, de Havilland portrays a Princess who is tired of her highly regimented life and schedule.  Her uncle, Coburn, wants de Havilland to marry and produce a male heir asap with his preferred choice, Count so-and-so.  However, de Havilland is not interested in the Count or any of her uncle's other choices.  She ends up flying to California.  She takes too many sleeping pills and the plane is routed back to New York due to bad weather.  Unable to rouse her, the pilot, Robert Cummings takes de Havilland home to his apartment to take care of her.  They end up falling in love and then there is the inevitable conflict when he finds out her true identity.  

[TopBilled]

Thanks to Swithin's earlier comment, I am watching FOREVER AND A DAY on YouTube right now. What an amazing group of performers. I loved the sequence with Brian Aherne and Ida Lupino (as the maid)...hilarious! The whole concept of how a house witnesses all these changes throughout the course of history is brilliant. 

 

TCM should show this film. 

[FrankGrimes]

1943

 

1. The Leopard Man

2. Ossessione

3. Mr. Lucky

4. The Seventh Victim

5. Shadow of a Doubt

6. Le Corbeau

7. The Ox-Bow Incident

8. The More the Merrier

9. Ghost Ship

10. I Walked with a Zombie

11. For Whom the Bell Tolls

12. This Land Is Mine

13. Hangmen Also Die!

14. Action in the North Atlantic

15. Cry 'Havoc'

16. A Lady Takes a Chance

17. Son of Dracula

18. Sherlock Holmes Faces Death

19. So Proudly We Hail

20. Northern Pursuit

21. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp

22. Above Suspicion

23. Five Graves to Cairo

24. Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon

25. Lady of Burlesque

26. Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man

27. Sherlock Holmes in Washington

28. Hit the Ice

29. Journey Into Fear

30. The Falcon Strikes Back

31. The Outlaw

32. Forever Amber

33. Madame Curie

34. City Without Men

35. Forever and a Day

36. Margin for Error

37. Heaven Can Wait

38. Power of the Press

39. Destination Tokyo

40. The Constant Nymph

41. Swing Shift Maisie

[Princess of Tap]

With the occupation in France and the censorship in Japan, I didn't come up with as many of those films that I knew. But fortunately the Japanese censors gave Akira Kurosawa his license in 1943, thanks to the intervention of Ozu, and he was able to make his first movie. And thanks to the intervention of Arthur Freed, Vincente Minnelli was able to make his first movie as well.

 

 

Movie Favorites of 1943

 

1. Jane Eyre

2. Shadow of a Doubt

3. The More the Merrier

4. Sanshiro Sugata

5. The Gang's All Here

6. Cabin in the Sky

7. Keeper of the Flame

8. Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman

9. Sherlock Holmes Faces Death

10. No Time for Love

[TopBilled]

With the occupation in France and the censorship in Japan, I didn't come up with as many of those films that I knew. But fortunately the Japanese censors gave Akira Kurosawa his license in 1943, thanks to the intervention of Ozu, and he was able to make his first movie. And thanks to the intervention of Arthur Freed, Vincente Minnelli was able to make his first movie as well.

 

 

Movie Favorites of 1943

 

1. Jane Eyre

2. Shadow of a Doubt

3. The More the Merrier

4. Sanshiro Sugata

5. The Gang's All Here

6. Cabin in the Sky

7. Keeper of the Flame

8. Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman

9. Sherlock Holmes Faces Death

10. No Time for Love

Nice list. I originally had KEEPER OF THE FLAME as an honorable mention. Can't remember why I removed it-- maybe because I felt Tracy and Hepburn seem a bit eclipsed by MGM's pro-war propaganda..?

[TopBilled]

Glad someone mentioned one of Fritz Lang's greatest films...currently, there's a restored print on Hulu.

[TopBilled]

My list:

1. GOING MY WAY (musical comedy drama)
2. MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (musical)
3. DOUBLE INDEMNITY (noir)
4. THE WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER (feminist war film)
5. HENRY V (British Shakespearean adaptation)
6. LAURA (noir)
7. LIFEBOAT (adventure drama)
8. HAIL THE CONQUERING HERO! (satirical comedy)
9. NATIONAL VELVET (literary adaptation)
10. MURDER, MY SWEET (noir) and THE LODGER (biographical horror)
 

Honorable Mentions:
BRAZIL (musical comedy)
A CANTERBURY TALE (British-American comedy drama)
THE CHILDREN ARE WATCHING US (Italian drama)
THE CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE (children’s fantasy)
FOLLOW THE BOYS (morale booster)
FOUR JILLS IN A JEEP (morale booster)
THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM (literary adaptation)
LADY IN THE DARK (musical)
MINISTRY OF FEAR (literary adaptation)
MR. WINKLE GOES TO WAR (literary adaptation)
ON APPROVAL (British comedy)
ROSIE THE RIVETER (feminist musical)
SINCE YOU WENT AWAY (drama)
THE STORY OF DR. WASSELL (biographical drama)
THE SUSPECT (noir)
TWO THOUSAND WOMEN (British feminist war film)
THE UNINVITED (supernatural mystery romance)
WILSON (biographical drama)
THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW (noir)
 

Notable Performers: Dick Powell; Barbara Stanwyck; Tallulah Bankhead; Irene Dunne; Laird Cregar; and Edward G. Robinson.

[LawrenceA]

Top, quite a few I haven't seen this time : THE WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER, BRAZIL, A CANTERBURY TALE, THE CHILDREN ARE WATCHING US, FOLLOW THE BOYS, FOUR JILLS IN A JEEP, LADY IN THE DARK, and TWO THOUSAND WOMEN.

[LawrenceA]

1944 - 65 films seen

 

 

1. DOUBLE INDEMNITY

2. LAURA

3. THE UNINVITED

4. TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT

5. GASLIGHT

6. MINISTRY OF FEAR

7. MURDER, MY SWEET

8. LIFEBOAT

9. ARSENIC AND OLD LACE

10. THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW

 

Runner-ups: HENRY V, IVAN THE TERRIBLE PART ONE, SINCE YOU WENT AWAY, THIRTY SECONDS OVER TOKYO, and HAIL THE CONQUERING HERO.

 

 

Not much to add about this list. Noir really starts taking over, with five titles that are at least noir adjacent. This was the first year since 1932 that the Best Picture Oscar winner doesn't at least make my runner-up list. GOING MY WAY has always ranked near the top of my least-liked best picture winners. I've never seen the appeal. Barry Fitzgerald is fine, but that's about it, for me anyway.

 

 

Larry's Choice: NABONGA

 

Another PRC wonder, this film follows Buster Crabbe as he ventures into darkest Africa to find the legendary White Witch, played in her debut by Julie London. Also with Barton MacLane and Fifi d'Orsay. Beware Samson, the mighty gorilla guardian!

[TopBilled]

1944 - 65 films seen

 

 

1. DOUBLE INDEMNITY

2. LAURA

3. THE UNINVITED

4. TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT

5. GASLIGHT

6. MINISTRY OF FEAR

7. MURDER, MY SWEET

8. LIFEBOAT

9. ARSENIC AND OLD LACE

10. THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW

 

Runner-ups: HENRY V, IVAN THE TERRIBLE PART ONE, SINCE YOU WENT AWAY, THIRTY SECONDS OVER TOKYO, and HAIL THE CONQUERING HERO.

 

 

Not much to add about this list. Noir really starts taking over, with five titles that are at least noir adjacent. This was the first year since 1932 that the Best Picture Oscar winner doesn't at least make my runner-up list. GOING MY WAY has always ranked near the top of my least-liked best picture winners. I've never seen the appeal. Barry Fitzgerald is fine, but that's about it, for me anyway.

 

 

Larry's Choice: NABONGA

 

Another PRC wonder, this film follows Buster Crabbe as he ventures into darkest Africa to find the legendary White Witch, played in her debut by Julie London. Also with Barton MacLane and Fifi d'Orsay. Beware Samson, the mighty gorilla guardian!

NABONGA is a lot of fun, a guilty pleasure for sure! And it features Julie London in her very first movie role. There's a copy of the film on Amazon Prime. 

 

GOING MY WAY is a warm feel-good movie that depends on whether audience members like Bing Crosby (and most do). As you said, Barry Fitzgerald certainly shines in his role (and I think it was the first and last time an actor was nominated for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor Oscar for the same role). I like the sequel a lot, THE BELLS OF ST. MARY'S, which of course does not feature Fitzgerald. But he and Bing did reunite later for WELCOME STRANGER, another warm and fuzzy comedy drama from Paramount that basically used the same formula. Except that time they weren't men of the cloth, they were small-town doctors. 

 

ARSENIC AND OLD LACE is one of those films I feel I should just absolutely love but I rather dislike it a lot. I feel they are trying way too hard and straining for laughs. The only one who plays his part droll and subdued is Raymond Massey. To me, screwball comedy just happens naturally because of the weird, somewhat surreal situations..you don't force it. I think Hitchcock should have directed it, not Capra. It would have been more eerie, more perversely funny and just all-around better with Hitchcock's guidance.

[speedracer5]

1944

 

1. Laura

2. Arsenic and Old Lace

3. Double Indemnity

4. To Have and Have Not

5. Meet Me in St. Louis

6. Cover Girl

7. Mr. Skeffington

8. The Three Cabelleros

9. Uncertain Glory

10. I'll Be Seeing You

 

Lawrence, I agree with you about Arsenic and Old Lace.  I love that movie.  It's so outrageous and absurd.  It cracks me up. 

[LawrenceA]

1944

 

1. Laura

2. Arsenic and Old Lace

3. Double Indemnity

4. To Have and Have Not

5. Meet Me in St. Louis

6. Cover Girl

7. Mr. Skeffington

8. The Three Cabelleros

9. Uncertain Glory

10. I'll Be Seeing You

 

Lawrence, I agree with you about Arsenic and Old Lace.  I love that movie.  It's so outrageous and absurd.  It cracks me up.

 

I haven't seen COVER GIRL or I'LL BE SEEING YOU. I have UNCERTAIN GLORY recorded but have yet to watch it.

[speedracer5]

I haven't seen COVER GIRL or I'LL BE SEEING YOU. I have UNCERTAIN GLORY recorded but have yet to watch it.

 

Cover Girl is a musical starring Gene Kelly and Rita Hayworth.  It also co-stars Phil Silvers.  He isn't quite as annoying here as he is in Summer Stock, so he's not too bad here.  This film features gorgeous costumes worn by Hayworth and has some great dance numbers.  One of the most famous dance numbers in the film is the one where Gene Kelly dances with his reflection in a mirror.  36 years later, Kelly would reprise his character, Danny McGuire, in Xanadu.  However, aside from the character having the same name, there is nothing else that relates the two films. My only complaint about this film is that there is something slightly "off" with Hayworth's makeup.  I'm not exactly sure what it is.

 

I'll Be Seeing You is a good movie starring Ginger Rogers and Joseph Cotten.  It also co-stars a teenage Shirley Temple.  The film is set at Christmastime.  Rogers character is an inmate at the local prison (she's in prison I believe for manslaughter).  She's released for a week-long furlough to visit her aunt and uncle for Christmas (do prisons really release prisoners for a furlough?).  While on the train, enroute to her relatives' house, she meets Cotten who is on leave from a military hospital.  Most of the film deals with Rogers and Cotten's blooming romance and Rogers struggling to tell Cotten about her past.  Temple portrays Rogers' cousin who is leery of her cousin's presence in the home (she was in prison after all).  

 

Uncertain Glory.  This is an Errol Flynn film where he plays against type.  He's a convicted criminal who escapes from an execution.  A French Inspector (portrayed by Paul Lucas) finds him and arranges to escort him back to prison.  Flynn ends up making a deal with Lucas to pose as one of the saboteurs who blew up a bridge and are holding 100 people hostage.  Flynn does this to buy himself time to try and escape again.  Flynn is essentially the villain in this story, but he has moments where he struggles with his conscience.  I think Flynn was excellent in this film.  It's one of his lesser known films.

[Kay]

Top, quite a few I haven't seen this time : THE WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER, BRAZIL, A CANTERBURY TALE, THE CHILDREN ARE WATCHING US, FOLLOW THE BOYS, FOUR JILLS IN A JEEP, LADY IN THE DARK, and TWO THOUSAND WOMEN.

 

The Children Are Watching Us is an excellent film. The little boy's performance was so realistic- like in The Bicycle Thief it was mostly filmed from the boy's perspective, but I found it more emotionally shattering than that film, which isn't a favorite of mine. I don't usually even like tearjerkers, but this one was so effective- I'd even say it's my favorite film of that year. (Yeah, you guys have me making lists now. There goes the rest of my sanity.)

 

(Of course emotional responses to films are so personal. I know I can gush over a film around here because everyone has iron-clad skepticism and I can't ruin anything by over-praise.)

Edited December 29, 2015 by Kay

[Swithin]

1944 Favorites

 

Fanny by Gaslight

Our friend Manderstoke should weigh in on this film. 

 

Gaslight

I prefer this to the UK version.

 

Henry V

TCM should have shown this film on October 25, the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt.

 

Ivan the Terrible (Part I)

For the creative use of symbolism that helps to tell a story with more than mere words.

 

The Mask of Dimitrios

Great story, great actors. Victor Francen's scene is a highlight.

 

The Mummy's Curse

I could never resist Tante Berthe and her rendition of "Hey You." For that alone, this Bayou Mummy has to be on the list.

 

Sherlock Holmes and the Scarlet Claw/Sherlock Holmes and the Spider Woman

Two of the best in the series.

 

This Happy Breed

Top-notch Noel Coward.

 

To Have and Have Not

"... Just put your lips together and blow."

 

Wilson

One of the great biopics. That convention of 1912 segment is one of the greatest scenes in movie history. 

[LawrenceA]

Swithin, I haven't seen FANNY BY GASLIGHT, but I think that was a Gainsborough picture you mentioned earlier. MASK OF DIMITRIOS is excellent, I concur. WILSON I wasn't crazy about.

[Bogie56]

For 1944 - 69 films seen

 

1.  The Miracle of Morgan's Creek

2.  Arsenic and Old Lace

3.  Gaslight

4.  Henry V

5.  Double Indemnity

6.  Hail the Conquering Hero

7.  Lifeboat

8.  Laura

9.  This Happy Breed

10. None But the Lonely Heart

 

Here are just some from my runner up list: National Velvet, Ministry of Fear, Murder, My Sweet and The Children Are Watching Us.

 

Bogie's curio: Torment. 

 

I have yet to see Ivan the Terrible from your list, Lawrence but I have a dvd copy of it.  

[Bogie56]

My current choices for performances for 1944 are:

 

Best Actor

 

Laurence Olivier, Henry V

 

Best Actress

 

Ingrid Bergman, Gaslight

 

Best Supporting Actor

 

Clifton Webb, Laura

 

Best Supporting Actress

 

Ethel Barrymore, None But the Lonely Heart

[LawrenceA]

Bogie, I enjoyed MIRACLE OF MORGAN'S CREEK too. TORMENT I haven't seen, but I think they may have shown it on TCM. Hopefully they will again.

[Princess of Tap]

1944-- this is so much easier than 1943. I don't know why, it could have something to do with the war, or was just one of those things.

 

Most of these films, I had seen more than half dozen times before I was 12 years-old. So I can certainly say that I know these movies well, having studied a number of facets about them over the decades.

 

In fact, several set my initial criteria for directing and acting. For that time, I selected George Cukor, Billy Wilder and Vincente Minnelli, as three outstanding directors not just in Hollywood but in the world. I also selected Ingrid Bergman, Barbara Stanwyck and Judy Garland,as outstanding actresses in film.

 

You might say I cut my teeth on those movies.

 

1) Meet Me in St. Louis

2) Double Indemnity

3) Gaslight

4) National Velvet

5) Murder,My Sweet

6) Laura

7) The Uninvited

8) Since You Went Away

9) I'll Be Seeing You

10)Cover Girl

[LawrenceA]

The 1001 Movies to See Before You Die entries for 1944 are:

 

 

DOUBLE INDEMNITY

GASLIGHT

HENRY V

IVAN THE TERRIBLE

LAURA

MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS

MURDER, MY SWEET

TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT